


Train Station Conversations and Low Odds

by SuzyQSky



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 09:38:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18775648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuzyQSky/pseuds/SuzyQSky
Summary: What are the odds that you happen to meet the youngest State Alchemist in history on a train ride? What are the odds that you happen to have the same destination? What are the odds that you worm your way into his life after fleeting conversations and long talks on train rides? Really, what are the odds that he could ever care for someone he barely knows?





	Train Station Conversations and Low Odds

You weren’t the biggest fan of taking the train to destinations, but it was definitely the fastest way to get from one side of Amestris to the other. The ride was bumpy, and you were in a completely empty car, something that made a social butterfly like you uncomfortable. But you still had Kiki, your black and white kitten, to keep you company. It slowed to a stop in a small countryside town called Resembool. You weren’t planning on getting off here, or anytime soon, so you wondered for a moment why the train had bothered stopping. The sliding double doors near your seat opened to reveal a pair of blonde-haired people, one of whom had a suitcase.

The one with the suitcase, a male with long hair, stepped hesitantly onto the train but stopped halfway into the car. He looked back at the girl. “Listen, Winry,” his voice was shaky as he spoke.

A beat passed before the girl, whose name you could presume was ‘Winry’, replied. “Well? What? Just come out and say it.”

“Equivalent exchange!” he burst out saying.

“Huh?” You couldn’t help but agree with Winry.

“I’ll give half of my life to you, if you give half of yours to me!” Winry stared at him for a moment before groaning.

“Aw, c’mon. Do you have to treat everything like alchemy? The whole equivalent exchange thing is just nonsense!”

“What’d you say?!"

“Ugh, it’s nonsense! How about I just give you my whole life?” Your eyebrows shot up at the sudden declaration. The boy looked at her, surprised, probably more than you. “Uh… maybe not all of it! Ninety… maybe eighty percent? Seventy-five… that’s not enough. But eighty-five… yeah, eighty-five is a good number!” You grinned at her desperate attempt to take back her previous statement, and the boy just laughed. “What?! Shut up!”

“I’m sorry, really!”

“Edward!” So that was his name.

“You are so incredible! You knocked equivalent exchange flat on its ass in just a few words!”

“And what’s that supposed to mean? Are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all,” Edward said as he went in for a hug. He was significantly taller than her, so you could see the top half of her face over his shoulder. “Thanks for cheering me up.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” she mumbled into his coat. She clutched onto him for a second longer before letting go. You could only assume he gave her a sweet smile before turning back around, picking up his luggage and boarding the train.

He seemed to finally notice your presence as he looked around. He leaped what could’ve been several feet into the air once he noticed you looking at him. “How long have you been there?!”

“Do you really want to know?” you asked with a laugh. He gave you a mistrustful look before you continued. “Don’t worry, I’m the only one here. You two are cute together, anyway. Seems like a recent thing.”

A rosy dusting covered his face. “Yeah… and now I’m leaving to travel. Maybe not the best plan, but I had to tell her before I left.” The train started up and you were back on your way.

“I can understand that,” you said as you stroked a hand down Kiki’s back. She purred in contentment. “I almost did the same thing but chickened out last minute. Traveling is great, but trying to keep relationships is difficult.”

He sat down across from you and looked out the window, deep in thought. Kiki suddenly decided that this was the prime time to leap out of your lap and go exploring. Directly to the newcomer. She rubbed her face against one of his legs, leaving a streak of fur on his pants. This was surprising. Kiki usually didn’t like anyone but you, especially not at first meeting. She barely tolerated your mother, yet she was warming up to this blonde stranger.

He looked down at the feline in surprise but leaned down to give her a scratch under the chin. “Weird…” he mumbled.

“You got that right. She usually hates everyone,” you agreed.

“Cats usually warm up to my brother.” Kiki purred into his hand as he grasped her collar to read it. “Kiki… cute.” She leaped into his lap and snuggled into his stomach.

“I hope you weren’t planning on moving for the next week and a half,” you joked. He gave a half-hearted laugh. “Well, since my cat has deemed you worthy of her companionship, I suppose I should get your name. In case she leaves me for you.”

“Edward Elric. Do I get yours in case your cat decides to stow herself away in my luggage?” His name sounded familiar, but you couldn’t pinpoint why.

“(Y/n) (L/n). It’s nice to meet you, Edward.” You checked your watch. You were only three of many hours into your trip. Might as well make conversation. “What are you doing, traveling West?”

“I made a deal with my brother to cover as much territory as possible. He took the East, so he could go to Xing and see his princess girlfriend, so I got stuck with the West. It’s a big world, there’s a lot to learn and to see.” He looked back at you. “What about you? What are you doing traveling West?”

“I’m actually going back to see my parents again. They decided to move out West when I moved out of the family home. They decided there was too much going on in Amestris, what with the recent wars and the Führer’s murder a few years ago. I guess they missed the peace and quiet.” You looked at him to gauge his reaction. “I can’t blame them, but I have a feeling things’ll slow down around here after all that excitement.”

“Yeah, I had a front-row seat to that mess, and I’m not eager for a repeat.”

“Military?” you guessed.

“Yeah, I was actually a State Alchemist for a while.”

You nodded. “Impressive, especially for your age. I tried learning alchemy when I was little, but my parents are weirdly religious and forbid me from even trying. Since I left, I’ve been too busy to try picking it up again.” He gave a polite nod that you took as encouragement to keep talking. “It seems so useful. You’d never have to take things in for repairs, your kitchen knives would never need sharpening, and of course, there are other things you can do for the military, but even if you were just a housewife, it would be so useful.”

He grinned at that. “I know someone who would agree with that. Hell, I agree with that.” Kiki started kneading his thigh.

“It baffles me that more people don’t try to learn it, considering all its uses.”

“Sure, but you can get by just as well without alchemy.”

“I suppose, but that’s pretty rich, coming from a State Alchemist.”

“Ex-State Alchemist,” he corrected.

“Even though I’ve had to live my entire life without it,” you continued, “I still wish I’d been able to learn. If for nothing but the pursuit of knowledge.”

“There’s still plenty of time to learn if you set your mind to it.”

“Sorry, pal, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

“You’re hardly old. What are you, seventeen?”

“Sixteen, actually, and I will have you know I can hear my bones creaking as we speak. This body won’t last much longer, I can promise you that,” you joked.

A flash of darkness passed across his face.

You looked at him with concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine, just brought back some unpleasant memories.” He waved off your concern in a heartbeat. Clearly, this guy had baggage up the ass, but you weren’t about to become his therapist after meeting him only that day. “It’s all resolved now, anyway. There’s no reason for me to get this worked up about it."

“You can get worked up about whatever the hell you want, I’m not judging,” you assured him.

“I appreciate it,” he said with a pained smile.

“On a completely different subject that I hope won’t give you war flashbacks, how about that girlfriend of yours? She seems nice,” you said in a blatant attempt at changing the subject.

“You mean Winry? Yeah, she’s great.” He got this dumb smile on his face - a lovestruck one, to say the least. “I’ve known her as long as I can remember. She’s been with me through everything. My brother and I once fought to see who would be the one to marry her.”

“I assume you won?”

“No, I got my ass handed to me,” he said with a smile. “But she turned him down, too. She refuses to date a guy shorter than her, which we both were.”

“Congratulations, you are now taller than her.”

“Yeah, I am now. Up until a few years ago, I was tiny. You would hardly believe. I was the youngest State Alchemist in history, so - naturally - people didn’t really take me seriously. Add a minuscule height on top and I wasn’t exactly the most intimidating figure.” He gave an awkward laugh at his own expense.

“Add a cat to your lap and you look downright cuddly,” you added.

“Gee, thanks,” he said with a sour expression.

After a moment of thought, you realized why his name sounded familiar. “You’re Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist?” You glanced at his right arm, but there was no gleam of steel from under his coat sleeve. “I thought you were supposed to have an automail right arm.”

He gripped his right arm with his left. “Yeah, I used to. But I also gave up that title two years ago. A lot’s changed since the rebellion two years ago.”

“I don’t suppose I could get inside details? Not much was released to the public. I always felt like there was something missing,” you said, hoping to coax the story out of him.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

You gave him a defiant look. “Try me.”

He let out a sigh. “Where to start…”


End file.
